


Playing the game

by yellowbutterflies



Series: F1 heist au [16]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Bank Robbery, Betrayal, Cliffhangers, Drinking, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings, Fluff, Fooling, Gangs, George having a fake life, Heist, Hurt/Comfort, Long con job, M/M, Partner Betrayal, bank worker, don’t know how to tag this without spoiling rn, fake identity, george centric, long con, well one sided with that tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:00:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29721066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowbutterflies/pseuds/yellowbutterflies
Summary: George gets the opportunity to play the long con, to pretend to be someone else and fool those around him.Or long con heist au part.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Lando Norris/George Russell, George Russell/Nyck de Vries, Stoffel Vandoorne & Nyck de Vries
Series: F1 heist au [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109519
Comments: 13
Kudos: 36





	1. Long con opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> This one was requested in the google form and I’m so excited. I thought I would do several chapters instead of a one shot seen as this is the long con ;)

When Lewis came up with the idea for the long con in his head, it seemed a bit far fetched. It was a risky idea, there was a chance of it not working but if he wanted it to work there was only one person who could carry out this task. George Russell.

George was the only member of Carbon who had the ability to do this. He was the only one who could carry this out. He was the only one who could pull it off. 

He knew the idea was stupid in some sense, surely nobody would fall for it unless it George who was doing the fooling. George could easily fool people, he was the type of person to do that. 

The only thing was, George would essentially have to give to his life for a few months. He’d only be able to see Alex and Lando once a week, he would have to live on his own in an apartment rented in the city. He would have to create a whole new persona. It was going to be difficult but Lewis couldn’t think of anyone better for the job. 

He just had to figure out a way to tell George his plan, to get George on board. Lewis had briefly mentioned it to Sebastian, the German thinking it was a good idea but at the end of the day it all came down to what George thought. Lewis knew Sebastian was right, if George didn’t want to do this. Then they didn’t. It was as simple as that. Although, Lewis knew he would be disappointed if they weren’t able to do it. 

The moment he had thought about it the idea had intrigued him, intrigued him so much he spent many hours on YouTube reading about people who had done it themselves. In theory he could do it himself but he would miss Carbon too much. He’d only been away from Carbon for 3 days at the most. Lewis didn’t think he could handle that long break. 

Doing a long con was never easy, it was draining. You had to keep up a fake persona, any signs of cracking or slipping and they’ll find you. They’ll figure you out before you have the chance to know. If you mess up part of your fake narrative they’ll figure you out. Any backtracking and they’ll figure you out. It would be hard even for George. 

But Lewis knew his fellow Brit had it in him, he knew his fellow Brit had all the skills required. 

It was all down to George’s decision.

“Meetings dismissed, George I need you to stick around.” George nodded and watched everyone filling out. Alex and Lando kissing him before they left. Max gave Lewis a side glare as he left, almost as if he knew what was going off. 

“What’s up boss?” George smiled. 

“I have a job for you, it’s completely your choice. I’m not going to force you to do it. There’s an opportunity to do a long con, you’ll get hired at the bank and con them. Get their information, make friends with the workers and take their stuff. It’s a long con, it’s going to take a few months. You’ll have your own apartment across town, there is no contact to be made with us unless we make it first but I will allow you to see Lando and Alex once a week.” Lewis explained.

“And Nico?” George asked, the Brit had a good relationship with his brother now. The two of them meeting up for a coffee at least once every two weeks.

“I’ll create a deal with him but you’ll only be able to text. That’s all I can offer.” Lewis said. 

“What would I be doing the long con for?” George asked. 

“The bank details, account numbers and safe numbers etc. If you make ‘friends’ you’ll take the things they have too.” Lewis explained. 

“How long?” 

“I’m looking 4-5 months.” Lewis said. 

“Can I think about it?” 

“Of course but I hate to pressure you but I need an answer within three days. I have a connection with someone who gets employees for banks. He’ll have to fill the whole soon.” Lewis said. 

“Okay, thank you.” George smiled. 

“You’re welcome to go now, if you have any questions message me or come find me.” Lewis smiled back. 

“Thanks.” He left.

George and Lewis’ rapport had never really repaired itself after the whole Nico and George situation. It hurt George that the guy he looked up to so much could barely look him in the eye. Maybe the time away would repair that. George would love nothing more than his other older brother back. 

Doing the long con sounded good, it drew him in. It interested him. He didn’t like being away from his family but he’d do it for the con. He knew it wouldn’t be difficult but it still sounded difficult. George knew Lando and Alex would probably not enjoy the idea. He had to tell them about it, at least he would still be able to see them once a week. Once a week sounded like nothing but it was something. If George wanted to do this long con. He would have to make that sacrifice. 

He didn’t want to leave his boyfriends, not after the last time he had but they all knew what they were getting in for when they joined Carbon. They knew there would be times where they wouldn’t see each other for a while, perhaps they didn’t think it would be many months but they still knew. 

George knew it would affect them a lot, he knew it would hurt them that George was so eager to leave them. He could see and understand why but this was his job. This was his passion. Surely they wouldn’t mind. Surely they’d put their pain behind them for George’s passion. 

He knew that if he left, Lando probably wouldn’t sleep as well and Alex would bury himself in work. If George looked at it like this, doing the long con was the worst thing he could do. It would change their whole dynamic but maybe it would improve it too. Lando had to learn how to sleep without them, there were going to be times where he couldn’t. He needed to be prepared. If they started small by taking George out of the equation it would help. Alex also needed to learn how to deal with his feelings, George knew that sounds harsh but Alex buried himself into work instead of dealing with them. It’s not healthy for him and it hurts George when he sees him struggling. 

Sometimes you have to sacrifice things, sometimes you have to give things up, sometimes you have to risk things. 

It was never going to be an easy decision, George knew this. If Alex and Lando let him, he still might choose not to do it. Although he was sure he wanted to, things could change. His opinion could change. Circumstances could change but right now George wanted too.

He wanted to play the long con, he wanted to see his full potential, he wanted to see how easily he could fool people. As sinister as it was, George wanted to backstab some people, he wanted to con them, he wanted to take everything they had. 

A bit like Robin Hood, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Expect, they weren’t poor. Not by any means. They had enough money to last them many many years. 

He couldn’t compare it to taking from the fortunate and giving to the unfortunate because they weren’t really unfortunate. They had made themselves unfortunate by choosing a life of crime, by choosing to hide from the authorities. 

Although, the authorities didn’t really know any of their identities. They were crafty like that. They only knew of Checo’s and Lance’s identity. 

What it was, was robbing people for their own gown. Robbing people simply because they could . Robbing people because they had the chance. Robbing people to cause misery on them and pain on them. Robbing the people because they had wronged them. 

When George did arrive back from the meeting, an end of the day one, Lando and Alex were waiting for him on the couch. Lando beaming and bouncing his way over when George opened the door. George picked him up almost immediately because Lando loved it so much. Alex smiled happily at the two of them. George toed his shoes off and sat beside Alex, Lando happily cuddling up to him. It hurt George because he knew what was going to come. He knew them better than he knew himself, he knew they were going to be hurt. It was never a doubt in his mind.

Alex kissed him and rested his head on George’s shoulder while Lando spoke about his day. This was their usual after work routine. They cuddle and speak about their day, it was always Lando first, then Alex and then George. George tried to pay attention to them as they spoke, it was hard because the atmosphere between them right now was loving and he knew that was going to change very shortly. When Alex had finished they both looked at him expectantly.

“Lewis offered me a mission.” Might as well dive straight into the deep end, George thought. “It’s a long con, I’ll be away for 4-5 months but you’ll be able to see me once a week. I’ll have to move temporarily too.” George said, trying his best not to look them in the eyes.

“So we’ll have no contact with you? Other than a weekly meeting?” Lando asked and George made the mistake by looking at him. His eyes had glossed over and George knew it was a sign Lando was upset.

“Yeah.” George said.

“Where will you be working?” Alex asked.

“I don’t really know yet and even if I did, I couldn’t tell you.” George looked at Alex, who’s face had changed from soft to well George didn’t know what it was.

“And you want to do this?” Alex asked.

“I do.” George said. 

“You want to leave us?” Lando said with the saddest look on his face and George just wanted to back out of the job there and then. He wanted to hug Lando and never let go. He couldn’t do that though, it wouldn’t be good for either of them.

“No, of course not baby. Never would I leave you two, ever. I’ll be back and you’ll get to see me still.”

“But you won’t be here will you? You won’t be here to cuddle me at night with Alex or to comfort us.” Lando said, Alex taking his hand.

“I won’t, I know that’s hard but you need to be able to learn how to sleep without us.” He put a hand on Lando’s cheek, trying to calm him but Lando just moved it away.

“What about the nightmares?” He asked.

“Alex will still be here.” He tried to explain.

“But what about me?” Lando asked.

“And what about me?” George asked him back. “I want to do this, Lando. I want to do this job. I don’t want to leave you, of course I don’t but I want to do this job.” Lando looked at Alex.

Of course Lando wanted his boyfriend to be happy, he would always want George to be happy. He would always want George to do the things he wanted and loved but he didn’t want to lose George again. Last time George went for a long period of time, it was against his will and sure, it was in the past now. Both parties had put it in the past but it still played on Lando’s mind. He never wanted to lose George again. And what if George preferred his new life? What if he made new friends who he couldn’t bring himself to scam so he left? What if he found someone better than Alex and Lando? What if he fell in love with someone else? What if he was found out and the authorities got to him before he could leave? 

There were so many possibilities that could happen and Lando didn’t like the chances of any of them. He didn’t like the outcome of most of them. He just wanted George here at Carbon where he could keep him safe, where he could keep him close. He didn’t want to let George go but he didn’t want to restrict him. He didn’t want to hold him back. Lando didn’t want to cause an argument between them. He didn’t want to be in the way of something George wanted to do, of something George loved.

He knew this was going to be hard on the three of them. Especially George. He would be the one who was away from everyone. Lando didn’t know why he was being so selfish. It wasn’t right when this situation was more about George.

George. His boyfriend. His handsome boyfriend who should always constantly keep his shirt off. His Georgie, his George. The boy who he wants to cuddle all night along with Alex. 

Lando just wants it to be the three of them forever.

“Alex?” Lando asked. “What do you think?”

That was a good question. What did Alex think? While on one hand Alex wanted George to do because he so clearly wanted to, he also didn’t. Alex was confused and Alex didn’t get confused. He never did. He always knew things and if he didn’t know, he would find out but in this situation, he couldn’t. He couldn’t decide which he would prefer. Would he want George safe and sound but disappointed? Or would he want George doing something he so wanted to do? 

It shouldn’t be Alex’s choice. It should be George’s, it’s his mission. He’s the one who’s going out in the danger, he’s the one being risked. Not him. It’s not Alex’s mission, it is not his decision but he knows George wants his opinion. George always wants both of their opinions, that's just how they work but in this situation Alex didn’t feel it was right for him to comment. Maybe that’s what he was feeling. He was feeling that it wasn’t right for him to give George his opinion because it was up to George.

This was George’s mission, Alex wasn’t involved in it in any way. He wouldn’t be assisting him, he just would be without him. He would be missing him. He wouldn’t be able to kiss or hug him as he pleased but he wasn’t involved it was up to George. 

“If George wants to do this, I’m okay with it.” Alex replied.

“George?” Lando looked at him.

“I do want to do it.” George said.

“I can’t stop you.” Lando said and let his head drop onto George’s other shoulder.

George put an arm around both of them, keeping them close to him. George would be going in three days. He would be leaving them for a few months, he wasn’t prepared to only see them once a week. He wanted to enjoy the last few days that they had like this. When they met up they might not be able to do this. He wanted to enjoy having them in his arms, having them close. He wanted to enjoy being able to kiss them and talk to them. 

It was going to be hard on them, it really was but George wanted to do this. He wanted to take the opportunity he was present with. Even if it was going to be difficult. That was life in Carbon.

Now, all he had to do was tell Nico and hope the German wouldn’t freak out. He was the person who wanted George the furthest away from danger and George wanted the opposite of that right now.


	2. Leaving

George always knew that Nico was going to have the worst reaction out of everyone. He had seen it coming, he knew Nico better than most people did. He didn’t blame his brother, George had shown to the German that he could easily be taken. He had gone with Nico with barely any hesitation. Nico would just want him safe, George understood that. It was like Lando and Alex wanted him safe too. They didn’t want him in danger.

George always had and always will be the crown jewel of Carbon. 

It’s written in his blood, it’s written in his DNA, it’s written in the story paved for him, it was written in the stars before he was born.

This was always George’s destiny. 

As George walked down to Lewis’ office he could already hear the arguing, he wasn’t surprised. He would be surprised if they weren’t arguing. George could hear Nico going off at Lewis. Sebastian was waiting outside the door, presumably to make sure nothing went too far. Nobody wanted the two of them killing each other.

Sebastian offered him a smile as George knocked on the door and let himself in. The smile didn’t offer him any comfort like it usually did, nothing could offer him comfort in this situation. Nico was a constant ticking time bomb. He had hidden anger. From the outside it didn’t look like Nico had that side but he definitely did.

“George!” Nico turned to him as soon as George entered. “What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to put yourself in more danger?”

“The only thing that was putting me in danger was you trying to kidnap me.” George retorted.

“Okay.” Nico looked annoyed. “That’s true but Fernando wants you, he wants all of us. What if he finds out? Are you crazy?”

“Look, I want to do this. The only person putting me in danger right now is me. It’s my decision, It’s my responsibility. I want this Nico. Lewis wasn’t going to force me to do it. It’s my choice.” 

Lewis was impressed by George. Over the years Lewis lost his touch with Nico, he couldn’t seem to handle him anymore but George. He just came here and told Nico straight, if Lewis did that it wouldn’t end well between the two. Nico had just stood there why George told him. It impressed Lewis, then again George had always impressed Lewis more than he cared to admit.

“George, you’re putting yourself in danger.” Nico seemed more calm now and Lewis couldn’t help but be impressed again.

“I’m willing to take that risk and you have to accept it. You can’t talk me out of this. Don’t you think Alex and Lando have already tried that?” George asked.

“They’re okay with it?”

“Not completely no, but they understand I want to do this and they want me to do the things I like. They aren’t stopping me.” George explained.

“And like I said Nico, you’ll be able to text George but you have to keep his cover and yours.” Lewis added.

“I’m trying to talk to my brother, can you not interrupt?” Nico asked Lewis, the boss rolling his eyes.

“Nico.” George looked at him.

“What? I am trying to talk to you. I’m trying to show you how crazy you are!” Nico replied.

“Nico, I am doing this job. End of story. Don’t fight it.” George said.

“Sometimes I wish you were a stupid person, then we wouldn’t have this problem.” Nico folded his arms.

“So?” George asked.

“Fine.” Nico gritted his teeth. “But I will be constantly telling you how much I hate it but I will keep our cover doing so.” 

It went a lot better than George had expected. Nico had signed the papers, agreeing to keep both their covers. George had expected it to go a lot worse, he had expected Nico to be worse. He was thankful that he knew how to calm Nico down, that he could do that. He was thankful his brother could see how much George wanted to do this.

Nico was not happy with George’s decision at all. He didn’t think it was clever playing the long con by himself for 4-5 months but he trusted George. He trusted his brother. He trusted him to keep his cover or get out of there if someone suspected something. He knew the boy's talent, he knew he could do this better than anyone. Nico knew the mission was made for George.

While he would rather keep George away from danger and risky missions he could see the want on George’s face. He could see just how much he craved this mission. It took a lot of guts to want to do something like this. It took bravery, it took someone with skill and George was that someone. George had so much skill in just his pinky, he had more skill than Nico had - something he hated to admit.

If anybody was going to do this job and do it correctly it was George. Nico could only see George doing it, George was the only one who could which is why he let him.

“I’m not happy with this, George.” Nico said as Lewis left to go with Sebastian.

“Really?” George asked.

“Don’t get cheeky with me.” He smiled at him.

“I’ll be okay.” George tried to reassure him.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t worry about you. You’re my little brother and you don’t have the best track record with staying away from danger.”

“I know but I can do this, Nico. You believe in me, right?” 

“Of course I do, you’re the best Carbon’s ever had.” 

“Better than you?” George asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Nico smiled.

George went to walk Nico to the exit but Charles burst through the door and back George into a wall.

“I need you to know, if you don’t come back from this long con, if you disappear, me and Max will find you and we will kill you, understood?” Charles angrily said.

“Do you want to not threaten my brother?” Nico asked.

“Try me.” Charles looked at him, his face staying angry. “Understood, George?”

“Understood, Charles.” He replied, Charles let go off him and left. “Don’t worry, Nico. He’s just protective.”

“If he kills you, I kill him.” Nico replied as they walked to the exit.

“He won’t kill me. It’s just a threat.” 

“Point still stands, little bro.” Nico hugged him before he left.

The long con was happening now. George was actually doing this. He was leaving Carbon for a few months, leaving his boys. He was getting a new identity, a new life, a new apartment. He was beginning to doubt if he was ready for something like this, beginning to doubt if he was prepared for this, beginning to doubt if he was right for this but Lewis wouldn’t have asked him if he wasn’t. 

When George went back to his apartment, Alex was immediately hugging him. He knew this was going to be hard for Lando and Alex. He held Alex as close as he tucked his head into George’s neck. George moved them to the couch, Lando was finishing his work in the IT room. He held Alex tight, not wanting to let him go. He breathed in his scent, knowing he’d be without the familiar, calming scent soon. 

Alex kept his arms tight around George, making sure he didn’t leave him. While he was okay with George doing this mission, he was still scared of George leaving and not coming back. He wanted to tell George he was scared but he didn’t know how, he didn’t know how to convey the emotions, he didn’t know the words.

“Alex?” George pulled him back so he could see his face.

“George.” He said quietly back.

“Talk to me, my love.” 

“I don’t know how.” Alex admitted quietly.

“Tell me how you’re feeling.” He prompted.

“Scared.” 

“Scared of what, Al?”

“You leaving.” George pulled him close to his chest.

“I’m not leaving you, not now and now ever. I’ll come back, I promise even if I’m hurt. I’ll come back to you, always. I always will.” George told him and held Alex.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Alex.” George kissed his head, their front door shut quietly. George wasn’t sure how long Lando had been standing there but he opened one of his arms for him. The younger one came over and hugged both of them.

“Lando?” Alex looked up to meet his eye.

“Alex.”

“I love you.” Alex told him.

“I love you too.” He kissed his nose.

“We’ll look after each other while he’s gone, won’t we?” Alex asked him.

“We did last time.” Lando took one of his hands and one of George’s.

“I love you both so much.” George kissed them both.

The three of them spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch, always in arms reach of each other. George would be leaving tomorrow, he would be going into his new temporary life. He was going to be leaving the people he loved the most. It was hard but he was prepared. He loved Alex and Lando, he would always find them, he would always come back to them. They were his and he was there’s. They couldn’t survive without the others. 

When George woke up the next morning, Lando was holding him in a death grip and looking up at him. George placed his hand on Lando’s cheek, the young boy’s eyes fluttering shut. He placed a gentle kiss on his head, Alex still sound asleep beside them. 

Lando looked so peaceful like this, looked as if nothing was fazing him. He looked cute and soft. He looked perfect but Lando always looked perfect to George. The sun from outside was hitting Lando’s face perfectly, making him look like some kind of angel. 

It annoyed George that he wouldn’t be able to wake up with them for a while, that he wouldn’t be able to hold them while their bodies woke up, that he wouldn’t be able to kiss them, that there wouldn’t be any morning sex, that he wouldn’t be able to see their faces first thing.

It was going to be worth it, in the long run. He just had to be patient, he had to wait it out.

“Georgie..” Lando's eyes were open now, looking straight into his.

“Baby.” He smiled at him, Lando smiled back.

“I’m going to miss you.” He admitted.

“You’ll see me in a week.” George told him, Lando held him tighter.

“Too long.”

“It’ll go by quicker than you think.” George hugged him tight.

“He’s right, Lando.” Alex said from beside them, Lando pouted at them. 

“Come now.” George sat up, letting Lando sit on his lap and letting Alex curl up on his side. “Don’t be like this, baby.”

“I just want to have you here.” Lando said.

“I know but this is our job, you knew what we were signing up for.” George said, Alex reaching over to rub Lando’s back.

“You’ll be thinking about me though, while you’re away, right?” Lando asked.

“Of course I will, I’ll be thinking about you and Alex all the time.” George replied, Lanod hummed and tucked himself into George. Alex hugged the two of them.

He would be back before they knew it, the mission would be over soon. It would zoom past them all and make them question if it ever happened. George just hoped this was the case, just hoped he would be back soon, just hoped he would have them back in his arms fully soon. 

Lewis had already told the three that when they met, Lewis would be close by. They were to stay away from all windows and there was only to be a hug upon entrance and upon exiting. They couldn’t risk anything, they couldn’t risk any kissing or touching. It would be an hour meeting, which wasn’t a lot but it was something. It meant George would still be able to see them, still be able to keep in contact with them.

Lando and Alex barely left his side for the rest of the day, they kept close to him, making sure they could be with him at times of the day. George was going to his new apartment tonight, all the stuff he needed already being there. Tomorrow he was starting his new job, a bank worker. George never imagined he would work in a bank. Then again, he didn’t really imagine any of this.

He didn’t imagine having two wonderful boyfriends, a job he actually loved and being a wanted criminal.

When George did get to his apartment that night, after an emotional goodbye from 

Alex and Lando where the three of them cried, George immediately flopped onto the bed. The apartment felt empty, it was one bedroom. It was just George, just George alone in this apartment. 

He hated the feeling, he always feared being alone and now he was. George’s mission was to make friends with the workers, maybe he wouldn’t really be alone. Although, he would be fooling them into trusting him.

He wished he could just pull his phone out and call Lando or Alex but he was given a new phone, his old one safe with Lewis. His new phone only had four contacts on, the bank, his new boss at the bank, Nico who was saved under ‘Adam’, and Lewis who was saved under ‘Roscoe’.

George went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He had changed his hair to change the parting, he wasn’t George anymore. He was William Newton. His whole wardrobe had changed, he just had smart and smart casual clothes now. There weren’t really any comfy clothes in his wardrobe. 

This was his life for the time being, he now had to learn his new role, his new job and his new life. He had to become an actor, he had to give William his own personality, his own backstory that wasn’t like his own.

He couldn’t leave a trace of George in it, he wasn’t George anymore. He wouldn’t be for a while. He couldn’t let any of his old life slip in, he wasn’t dating two people in his new life. He was single. He wasn’t a smart protege, he was of average intelligence and had an undergraduate in accounting. He did athletics in his free time, George did that too but that was only to keep fit for Carbon. His new persona was different to him, it had to be. They couldn’t let anyone know, couldn’t let anyone figure out who he was or why he was there.

Tomorrow George’s new life would begin.


	3. New Job

It was weird when George woke up without Alex or Lando beside him. He didn’t usually wake up alone anymore. He knew the two of them would still be asleep, while here he was at 6am getting up so he could go start a new job. 

George was nervous, he was starting his new job. He was starting his new life now. He couldn’t afford to screw up, he couldn’t afford to mess this up. He didn’t think there would be any repercussions for failing, he didn’t want to take that chance. He didn’t want to have hurt the people close to him for no reason. 

His eyes threatened to shut again as he stood in the shower. He turned the water to cold in an attempt to wake him up. He tried his best not to think about Lando and Alex as he went through his morning routine. 

It wasn’t easy, normally there were three people in the kitchen and now there was just one. Just one, all by himself. 

George couldn’t think like that, being alone had to come natural to him now. His new persona, William, he was naturally alone. That was his backstory, something a little pitiful to draw people in. He had grown up alone, spent most of his days by himself getting by but he liked it because he was used to it. Not like George, who wasn’t. It had been him, Alex and Lando for a long time 

Although this change was expected it still seemed sudden. It seemed as if it came out of nowhere as if George didn’t know it was coming but he did. 

He met his own eye in the mirror as he finished buttoning up his shirt. He kept the eye contact as he put his blazer jacket on. This was who he was now. A banker with a degree in accounting. Two areas George didn’t know much in but he had done plenty of research. He had to fit this role, he couldn’t slip up in any area. He styled his hair simply before deciding he was ready. All he had to do now was put on his shoes and leave. 

It was weird to George that he no longer lived in the building he worked in, it was weird that he actually had a commute to work now. It wasn’t like the bank was too far, just a twenty minute walk up the road but it was still different to George. He had gotten so used to living and working at Carbon, in the headquarters. He had gotten so used to having his work on his doorstep.

The walk was nice though, he got to pass a little pond that had some ducks swimming around in it. There was a lot more nature in this side of town compared to where headquarters were. It was nice to have a little scenery, the walk calmed George. It helped him get into the mindset, it helped him prepare for the day ahead.

The bank was empty when George arrived, he wasn’t surprised. It was only 7:30am, most people were still getting ready for the day. A short guy suddenly popped up from the counter and if George hadn’t learned to not be jump scared, he would have reacted.

“Hello.” The man smiled. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, my name is William Newton. I’m starting a job here today.” George let a little breath of relief out when he got his name right. 

“Ahh yes, our boss isn’t it today but he told me to expect you.” The man came from around the counter, he extended his hand. “I’m Nyck De Vries.” George shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” George smiled at him.

“Stoffel, one of our other workers, should be here soon. He tends to be late from time to time.” Nyck explained as he took George into the back room.

The first day at the bank was long and tiring, if it wasn’t empty, it was busy. It would be packed with people. George definitely did not like this job, he hated it in fact but William liked it which meant George had to. George didn’t do much socialising that day, he wanted to lay a foundation before he started getting closer to anyone. Out of Stoffel and Nyck, Nyck definitely seemed like the easier target. He was clumsy, a little dumb. It made George question how Nyck had got a job here in the first place.

George learnt a lot about how the bank worked on the first day, Stoffel and Nyck seemed impressed at how quickly George was picking things up. He didn’t mean to do so, he was supposed to be William not George but he supposed it couldn’t hurt to learn the ropes quickly. 

It seemed to mostly be older people who came to this bank, older more vulnerable people. Vulnerable people that George could con, vulnerable people that George could con into giving him money. Perhaps George had underestimated how easy this job was going to be, he had imagined it to be much more difficult than this.

He got to see where the safe deposit boxes were kept and the whole system they had for it. They had a two key system, the bank had one key and the owner had the other. Surely George could convince the clients to let him look at their key, then he would use some plasticine to make a mould of the key. They didn’t often need to do key casting in Carbon but George couldn’t exactly hack a key system. Well, George couldn’t hack much but nobody could hack a key system. 

In this day and age people were stupid, they didn’t use key systems, they used electronic systems and electronic systems could be hacked into it. It was almost like people wanted to be hacked, almost like they were asking criminals to take everything they had. 

George also got to see the room where all the money was kept, it was underground and hidden from the public eye. If you looked at the building from the outside you wouldn’t think there was a basement, you wouldn’t think this bank got much revenue either. The money room had a pin code, a pin code that George was given. It was stupid really, they were giving him the code to a room he was later going to steal all the money from but of course they didn’t know that.

Nobody in the bank could imagine what was going to happen, none of them could imagine what George was planning, what George was up to. They were all oblivious to the fact that George was a criminal, that George worked for the most wanted gang around. Nobody knew George. They didn’t even know he was George, they just know him as William. So, nobody knew that William was façade and that William wasn’t all he seemed. They didn’t know that William was working against them, not with them. He was there to gather intel and information and then when it was time to hit, he would send the code word to Carbon in a text to Lewis. Then the money would be gone by the time the bank workers rolled around to work the next morning, everything would be gone because Carbon was good, because Carbon were the best around and only Carbon had the skill to quickly and efficiently clear out a bank of this size.

He returned back to his apartment feeling quite happy that night, he changed out of his suit before making some pasta and settling down on the couch. It was weird being without Lando and Alex, normally at this time they’d be talking about their day and what they got up to. Sometimes they didn’t really see each other during the day, always busy with whatever work they were doing. Lando had pretty much moved out of their shared office and into the IT lab. He only worked there if he was having a bad day and wanted comfort. Otherwise, he could be found on the desk beside Max, the two of them typing away.

George felt empty not having his two favourite people in arms reach of him. He felt empty that he wasn’t able to tell them about his day or watch Lando try to make them dinner. It became a tradition that Lando attempted dinner once a week, he was getting better at it. He was improving, most weeks he would get help from George or Alex but the pair of them were more than happy to help him. It was weird that George wasn’t settling down to watch a Netflix show that Alex had found and begged them to watch with him. He was sure he would get used to this feeling as time went by but he didn’t want to get used to the feeling. He wanted them back but he made this choice, it was going to get easier. He just had to be patient with himself.

The next day was pretty much identical to the first day George had spent at the bank. He did the same thing all day, sit there and wait for people and then when they would show he would deposit their money into their account or take them to their deposit boxes. George had a feeling most days were going to be like this, most days would be the same and that he would get himself into some routine with it. He learnt a little more about how the bank worked, they had regulars who would visit them at least once a week to make a deposit. They would rarely get new clients but if they did it was because they we’re screwed over by their last bank. George had learnt a bunch of people moved to this bank after their old one was robbed, it soon connected in George’s head that it was he who had robbed the bank they had moved from. The irony. 

“William?” Nyck came beside him towards the end of the shift.

“Yes Nyck?” He replied.

“Me and Stoffel were wondering if you’d like to go out with us tonight, we are just going to the bar for a drink or two. We usually do on a Friday.” Nyck said.

“Sure, I’d like that.” Looks like George wouldn’t have to work too hard.

“Cool, if you meet us outside here at 7?” Nyck said.

“Sounds good to me, I’ll see you at 7.” George smiled.

George went home, ate some dinner and changed into something a little more casual. He was hardly going to show up to a bar in a suit, that was just ridiculous and George had standards. It looked like he was already having a good impression of Nyck and Stoffel, which was exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted them to like him, he wanted them to like him so he drew them in and fooled them. George had decided it was definitely Nyck who he was targeting more, Stoffel was smarter than he seemed. George would definitely not be able to fool him as easily as he could with Nyck. Nyck was definitely the easier target.

The two of them were waiting for George when he arrived, they seemed lost in conversation but Nyck lit up when he saw George.

“I thought you were going to bail on us, William.” Nyck said.

“Why’s that?” He asked.

“The last new worker we had said he was going to come and then didn’t. We haven’t seen him since.” Stoffel explained.

“Oh right.”

“David really did leave us stuck in a pickle but then you came along!” Nyck smiled, George smiled back.

“Yeah, I’m here now.” George had to try and keep a poker face. Alex assassinated someone called David just over a week ago. Now wasn’t the time to think about Alex, Alex wasn’t in his new life.

Nyck and Stoffel walked George to the bar, they spoke a little about their life’s and George did too. Well, he spoke about William’s life. He had learnt that Nyck and Stoffel had been working at the bank for a few years and that was how they met. He learned about their personal life too and they learnt about William’s.

Nyck ran straight to the bar to order some drinks while Stoffel took George to the pair’s usual table.

“Warning, Nyck is a little bit of a lightweight.” Stoffel laughed.

“That’s okay, I know- used to know a lightweight. You just let them talk and make sure they’re tucked in bed with water beside them.” George explained, quickly catching himself.

“Here we are.” Nyck placed three drinks down on the table. “So William, are you new around this town?” Nyck asked.

“I am, yes. I used to live in Brookeville.” A town that was two hours away from here, George had researched when creating the backstory. “Got my degree, worked there for awhile and then I wanted a change.”

“How come?” Nyck asked.

“I was always alone there, thought a new start might do me some good.” George explained and hoped he didn’t sound like a puppet.

“Well you don’t have to be alone anymore. We’re a tight knit group at the bank.” Nyck smiled.

“Thanks.” George smiled back.

“What he said.” Stoffel added.

They spent an hour or two at the bar, having a few drinks. It was nice, it was nice to speak to people who didn’t work at Carbon. It wasn’t something George wanted though, he didn’t want this life. It wasn’t where he belonged but it was nice. Sometimes having a change did someone a little good. George and Stoffel pretty much just let Nyck ramble on as he started getting tipsy, Nyck started telling George his whole life story and Stoffel tuned out, having heard this story more than once. 

Nyck opening up to George meant he got to see the boy’s insecurities, he got to see his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He got to see how he pliable Nyck could be in his hands. He had already agreed with Alex and Lando beforehand that the easiest way to get someone in his trap was to make them fall for him. Alex and Lando trusted George, they trusted him not to leave them. George would never leave them, never ever. He was theirs till the end of time. The plan just had to be this way because it was easy and in Lando’s words, George was irresistible.

George was definitely going to have some fun fooling Nyck into this con.


	4. Wanting

George helped Stoffel take Nyck back to his apartment, Nyck actually didn’t live too far from George. When they got to Nyck’s apartment, he insisted on giving George a tour around his whole apartment. George smiled and let him do so. He needed Nyck to trust him, he needed Stoffel to trust him too. Without their trust it wouldn’t work the way he wanted.

Nyck seemed shy the next time George saw him at work, Stoffel seemed to know something George didn’t. It was just George and Nyck on their lunch break, George asked to take Nyck around to the local cafe. The two of them had a coffee and sandwich. George mostly let Nyck talk, Nyck reminded George of Lando in a way. He was always talking and he always wanted to talk. George was happy to oblige because it meant Nyck would trust him more. That’s exactly what George wanted. 

The first week on the job went by quicker than George expected. It had gotten better than George had expected too. He had already gotten close to the workers and the regulars. Everyone seemed to like him. 

George woke up on Sunday feeling a lot happier. He’d get to see Alex and Lando even if it was for an hour. Nico had messaged him the night before warning him to be careful. George also woke up to a message from Nyck, some sort of meme that George didn’t really understand but he sent a laughing emoji back. George wasn’t bothered about Nyck today. Today was about Lando and Alex.

He spent most of the morning pacing back and forth, waiting for them to arrive. Lewis was coming with them but he’d wait outside the apartment block, giving them some space. When they did arrive George practically dived at the front door when he heard the knock they had pre-arranged. Fortunately, they all had some self control and waited until the door was shut, once it was once Lando immediately attached himself to George, Alex not too far behind. George clutched at the pair of them. 

“Come on, let’s sit.” George said.

George sat on the middle of the couch, the tv playing in the background. Their feet were touching as they were hidden from sight by the coffee table, there wasn’t any physical contact allowed than the hug on entrance and exit. It was vital to the mission they stuck to the rules, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much it pained them.

“I missed you, Georgie.” Lando said, George could tell the boy was dying to touch him. George very briefly rested his hand on Lando’s before moving it, it was all that he could risk. 

“I missed you too, baby.” He smiled reassuringly at him. “I missed you too, love.” George turned to Alex, repeating the hand touching.

“It’s been hard without.” Alex admitted. “I missed you a lot.” 

“Has Lando been sleeping?” George asked Alex rather than Lando because he was more likely to get the truth.

“He has, not very well though, keeps having nightmares.” Alex said.

“You told me you wouldn’t tell him!” Lando said.

“Lando, I can’t lie to him.” Alex looked at him.

“But…” Lando just looked at the two of them, pouted and crossed his arms.

“Talk to me.” George prompted.

“I’m just scared of you running away.” Lando mumbled.

“That’s never going to happen, okay? I can’t survive without you two. I would never leave you.” George said.

“You did before, when Lewis thought you betrayed us.” 

“That was different, babe.” Alex added.

“Still happened.” Lando shrugged.

“Look at me, Lando.” George said, Lando hesitated but did so. “I’m not leaving you. I promise. Never ever.”

“I wish i could hug you, Georgie.” Lando mumbled.

“I know, me too. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company, okay?” 

It was hard for Lando having George so close to him, it was hard to have him so close and not be able to touch him. Lando wanted nothing more than to crawl into George’s lap and bury himself in the Brit. He just wanted George back at Carbon, wanted him back where he was safe and where Lando could see him everyday. He knew this was going to be hard, Sebastian had already told him. The day George left, Sebastian had sat Lando down and told him it was going to be difficult and they were all going to struggle, told him it could cause tension between them but they’d come out stronger on the other end. He didn’t think it would be this hard, he didn’t think he’d have the desire to just rob the bank himself so George couldn’t complete his mission. Lando just wanted George to hold him in his arms and tell him everything was going to be alright but he couldn’t even have that. The most he could have was the subtle and gentle foot touches and the quick hugs. He wanted more than that, he wanted to be able to kiss George, hug him and love him. That’s what he wanted. He didn’t want George to be on the other end of town, away from him and in potential danger. He didn’t want George pretending to be in love with someone else, even though they had agreed it was fine.

Lando knew deep down inside that George would never run off with anyone, he wouldn’t fall in love with someone else but it didn’t mean his brain had caught up with that yet. His brain was still trying to scare him and he hated that. He hated everything he was feeling. He hated this. He hated George ever so slightly too because he chose to do this, he could have chosen to stay back at Carbon but he didn’t. It wasn’t enough hatred to make Lando hate George completely, it was just the sort of hatred you feel when your best friend does something to annoy you. He could never hate George. Never ever.

Alex wasn’t doing much better himself, like Lando, he wanted to be able to hug and kiss George, he wanted to be able to love him. He didn’t like having George so far away from him, ever since they met they were never too far from each other. You would rarely find George and Alex apart. That wasn’t how they worked, they worked together, they flowed together. Then they met Lando and that connection only grew, it didn’t just span between the two of them, it spanned between the three of them. Alex didn’t mind that because instead of having one person to love, he had two. The three of them worked together, not alone, not apart, not seperate. 

He supposed he could be in a much worse situation, Lando could be far away from him too but at least he had Lando to hold at night, he had Lando to kiss, he just wished that he had George too.

George couldn’t dwell on the things he wanted or craved, he had to ignore it. He couldn’t afford to do so. If he did he could risk slipping, he could risk ruining the mission and he wasn’t going to do that. Even if he loved Lando and Alex, he couldn;t ruin this mission. He couldn’t. He had to keep control of himself, he had to control his emotions but it was hard to have them this close to him.

It was obvious the next day that George wasn’t okay, you could see it in his movements, in the way he worked. He didn’t mean to let his emotions come to the surface and expose themselves but sometimes it happened. He just had to let it. George could tell Nyck had noticed. He could see him looking at George from time to time, like he was trying to keep an eye on him and make sure he was alright. If George wasn’t here to con them, he would think that was rather sweet of Nyck, he would think of himself as a dick for playing Nyck but George couldn’t think like that. The second he did, he was screwed. There were no mercy for the ones who were dumb enough to fall into his trap. Stoffel had dropped by for an hour that morning, he didn’t work Mondays but still stopped in to say hello. Nyck had taken him into the back room for a chat, George couldn’t help but wonder if they were talking about him.

Just as George went to leave Nyck came up to him.

“Hey, I’ve got to lock up in ten minutes but I was wondering if you want to hang out at my place, you seem a bit off.” Nyck said.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll stick around then.” George smiled, Nyck smiled back before heading off to get ready to close up.

They walked in silence on the way back, the two of them just enjoying the nature and the company each other brought. Well, George was pretending anyway, he much rather be with Alex or Lando right now. Nyck made him tea when they arrived, George drank it as Nyck changed in his bedroom. George really hadn’t taken in Nyck’s apartment when he first visited, it was actually a nice apartment. 

“Are you okay? You seemed off today.” Nyck settled beside him.

“Just a little homesick, nothing to worry about.” George smiled reassuringly at him.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a nice smile?” Nyck asked.

“Nobody really pays me any attention.” George responded.

“They should, you have a nice smile.” Nyck smiled.

“Yours is better.” George smiled back, pretending it was Lando he was speaking too.

Nyck flushed and looked down at his hands. George knew if he was going to make a move that now was the time to do it. He just had to pretend this was Alex or Lando. That’s all he had to do. The other two knew he’d be doing at some point but he still felt guilty that he was going to do this. George moved closer to Nyck and put his index finger under his chin and made Nyck look at him. George closed the gap in between them and connected their lips. It was just Lando, not Nyck. He could feel Nyck kissing back, he pulled away and smiled at him. It wasn’t Nyck he just kissed, it wasn’t but George wasn’t even himself right now. He was William, William kissed Nyck. Not him.

“Did you mean that?” Nyck asked.

“I did, I wouldn’t kiss you if not.” George responded.

“People usually only kiss me cause I’m an easy target, an easy fuck.” Nyck mumbled and oh shit was this boy going to have problems when George was finished but maybe he shouldn’t trust people so easily. George didn’t have any guilt right now, this wasn’t going to affect him.

“That’s not why I kissed you.” George placed his hand gently on Nyck’s cheek, the boy leaning into it. George wondered if Nyck really was older than him. “I kissed you because I wanted too, because I wanted you.” George was William right now, he wasn’t himself.

“You want me? Like you want me more than just a quick fuck?” Nyck mumbled.

“I want you more than just a quick fuck, Nyck.” George said, no William said. He wasn’t George, this wasn’t George’s life, this was William’s.

“Would you like to stay the night?” Nyck asked, his face flushing.

“I will but I would like to go home and shower first, if that’s alright?” Nyck nodded.

“That’s okay.” George, no William kissed him again.

“I’ll be back shortly.” He left.

As soon as he reached his apartment he started freaking out, this wasn’t happening. No, he didn’t just do that. No, William did that. He isn't William, he’s George. William kissed Nyck. Not George. Nyck didn’t even know who George was.

**George** : help me.

**Nico** : be more specific

**George** : I just had to kiss Nyck. I’m freaking out.

**Nico** : William kissed Nyck, okay?

**George** : but I’m him

**Nico** : not when you’re talking to me. This is just a mission, remember that. This isn’t your life.

**George** : I wish it wasn’t 

**Nico** : I know, you either keep it up or you tell Roscoe you want out.

**George** : I have to do this.

**Nico** : no you don’t 

**George** : I want to do this

George wanted to do this, he chose this. He’s choosing everything he is doing. Anything he doesn’t want to do, he doesn’t have to. He needed to remember that, he needed to hold on to that. He had to do this if he wanted to continue the long con, it was an important factor. It meant he got closer to someone who was high up in the bank, Nyck often locked up. He could get the key, they wouldn’t have to break in. He would make the workers come off worse, he had to do this. This is what George was destined for, destined to hurt people who let him, destined to hurt people he didn’t care about. That’s what Carbon was about. He knew that when he signed up, he wasn’t stopping now.

George had got this, George was doing it. Nyck had something coming for him that he wouldn’t expect.


	5. Foundations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a time skip because otherwise I won’t finish this. I don’t like writing multi chapter books apparently

**2 months later**

George had made amazing progress in the first two months. He had gotten Stoffel and Nyck on his side, they trusted him. They hang around with him regularly. Nyck was even William’s boyfriend, not George’s because George wasn’t William.

George was becoming a favourite of the regulars, lots of them always came to him with a smile. He had even got some casts of their keys. He was feeling very positive about the whole situation. 

He was going to see Alex and Lando today, Lewis was letting them meet at the cafe Nico usually took him too, the German was going to be there keeping an eye on them. Lando and Alex usually came to him but because it had been two months Lewis agreed George could come up to their side of town. George had told Nyck he was going to see some family today and promised to come round when he was back, after Nyck had given George a pout but as soon as George got into Nico’s car, he put Nyck out of his mind. 

Going to the cafe meant they got to hold each other. All the people who went to the cafe either worked for Nico or Lewis, after Nico came to an agreement with the owner a few months back. George hadn’t been able to kiss his boys in two months and he couldn’t wait. 

Lando and Alex were waiting in the corner when George entered, Lando dashing straight for George as soon as the door closed. George wrapped his arms around him and breathed him in. Lando let go for a few minutes while George held Alex. As soon as George sat at the bench, Lando climbed into his lamp. He made it clear he wasn’t moving. George wrapped an arm around Lando and held Alex’s hand with the hand on his free arm. Lando couldn’t stop peppering kisses all over George’s face. 

“I missed you Georgie.” Lando whispered. 

“I know baby, I missed you too.” He held him close. “I missed you too Alex.” He kissed Alex. 

“Missed you too, Georgie.” Alex smiled. 

“How long do you think you have left?” Lando asked. 

“A month or two, baby.” Lando whined. “I know but I’ll be back soon.” 

“Alex tell him it’s not fair.” Lando pouted. 

“George, it’s not fair that you’ve left me alone to put up with him.” Alex joked, Lando frowned before laughing himself. 

“I love you two so much.” The both of them cuddled up to George. 

Lando was finding it easier to cope without George, even if he didn’t like it. It became easier to sleep, although the nightmares remained. They weren’t as frequent, having Alex beside him really helped. George being away really reminded Lando on how much he loved Alex and he made sure to tell him that. Lando was just counting down the days till George came back and it would be the three of them again. 

Alex was still struggling, he had to admit it but he was okay. It was just something he dealt with as it came, George would be back soon. Alex just had to be patient, he was trying his best. He just wanted George back. Alex was thankful that he had Lando, the Brit had really helped him more than he knew. Alex made sure Lando knew how much he was appreciated. It would be the three of them again soon, Alex just had to hold on. 

It was nice to see his boys again, to be able to hold and kiss them again. It made George happy to have them back, he loved it but all good things had to come to an end. He held onto them tightly before he left them, kissed them harder than usual to make it last. He’d be back with them before he knew it. 

He still found it difficult having them far away, not having them available. It hurt not knowing whether Lando was having a nightmare or not, it hurt that he wasn’t able to be there with him, it hurt that he couldn’t comfort him. It hurt that George didn’t know what was going on with Alex, he couldn’t see him. It hurt that he wasn’t able to comfort Alex or listen to him as he stressed. He knew they had each other. 

He just wished he was there too. He wished he was with them. He wished the three of them were there together. He wished he wasn’t alone, even if he had Nyck, he didn’t. William did and he wasn’t William. He was George, he was George who longed to be with Alex and Lando, who longed to be back at headquarters, who longed to go back to the life he was destined for. 

George gave them all the key casts he had made before leaning, including the key to the bank, so they could be turned into keys back at headquarters.

He had to go back to being William now, had to go back to his life. He had to go back to being in love with Nyck. He wasn’t George now. He had to leave Alex and Lando in the back of his head, couldn’t let them leave. 

Nyck looked like a bouncy puppy when George arrived back, he wrapped himself around George as soon as he came through the door. George laughed and held him, kicking the door shut with his foot. If George wasn’t a criminal, he’d probably feel bad for Nyck. William would feel bad for Nyck. 

“Did you have a nice time?” Nyck asked as George sat them down. 

“I did, I missed you though. What have you done today?” 

“Me and Stoffel were counting at the bank, pretty boring without you.” Nyck frowned. 

“I’m here now, you have me now.” George smiled and kissed his forehead. 

The next few weeks were vital, George had to start laying down the final foundations. He had to lay things down in the bank, make sure they could take the most, make sure everything was still in the safe deposit boxes but most importantly he had to draw Nyck in further, had to make him trust him more. It was time George revealed William's backstory. George had made himself cry by the time Nyck had returned from the shop. The boy dropping all the bags and rushing to his side. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Nyck sounded concerned, he pulled him in for a hug. 

“Just got a lot on my mind.” He said quietly. 

“Talk to me?” 

“When I saw my family, it was hard. Right before I moved we lost my sister. I’d rather not go into details. It’s been hard on my family. We kept arguing about how I moved when they needed me but when I was there they never wanted me, treated me like I was just a spare part. Nobody ever wanted me in that town, I was a nobody, I still am a nobody. Nobody wants me.” George fake cried into Nyck’s shoulder. 

“Hey, you’re not a nobody. I want you, I wanted you since the moment you walked into the bank because look at you! You don’t need them, we can have our own family.” Nyck said. Bingo. Just what George wanted. 

“You want a family with me?” George looked at him. 

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. I would love nothing more than a family with you.” George leaned forward and kissed him, this would hurt Nyck. 

Stoffel had been happy when George and Nyck had told them they were together. He had been supportive of them. It turned out Nyck had complained about George’s looks to him. He was just as happy when they told him they were going to start looking at having a family, he even started calling himself Uncle Stoffel. 

George was placing down all the right foundations, he was going in the right direction. 

He had met his boss a few weeks back, he had been impressed with George and trusted him. He told him some secrets about the bank, things that would be helpful for Carbon. If only his boss knew. 

Pierre and Charles came into the bank one day, posing as a young couple looking for a bank to create a savings account with. While Charles flirted with Stoffel, Pierre was on his phone. George knew he’d be looking at the cameras. 

They had agreed George would turn them off the night of the heist but Pierre wanted to erase the footage for at least an hour before, so it couldn’t be traced back to George. 

Expect it would be traced back to George, well William. Not George. He was going to disappear after the night of the attack. He was going to pack up his stuff, leave without a trace. He was going to leave with no note for Nyck, going to leave him in the dark, leave him in the blue. He was going to leave him hurt. He was going to leave him without a secure job and with a broken heart. 

It was going to be perfect and maybe Nyck would learn not to let people in so easily. Maybe it would do him so good, maybe in the long run it would help him. It most likely wouldn’t but details, details. 

George wasn’t bothered about that, he wouldn’t see Nyck again after this. Nyck would be in the back of his mind. He’d be back to his usual job, he’d be back with Lando and Alex. 

Something he couldn’t wait for. 

Every time he kissed Nyck all he just imagined it was then, imagined it was their lips. Not Nyck’s. He always reminded himself of that, always reminded himself that this was William’s life he was living. Not his own. His was on pause while he did this. He wasn’t in motion right now. 

George knew they had to move quickly, they had to move soon before anything went too far. George didn’t want to hurt any children. He couldn’t do that. 

He knew their move would be made soon, he knew it wouldn’t be too long before he gave Lewis the word. He knew it wouldn’t be too long before he sent the code. 

It wouldn’t be long before George got to leave William behind, till he got to leave this life behind. It wouldn’t be long before he got to leave the bank behind, till he didn’t have to work in it. 

George had to start preparing himself for the change that was going to come. He had to prepare himself for the job and for his return back to Carbon. 

It was going to be hard on him, going from being William back to George. It was going to be hard going back to his normal job, back to his usual routine but George was happy that he got to go back, that he was going back to his old life. He couldn’t wait to get back to his old routine, could wait to get back to waking up beside Alex and Lando. He couldn’t wait to go back to regular meetings and eating lunch with all his friends. He couldn’t wait to get back to Carbon.

To say George hated his job sometimes, it could be stressful and dangerous. It made him risk his life, it made him hide from the world but to say he hated it sometimes, he couldn’t wait to get back. He couldn’t wait to go out on dangerous, to feel the adrenaline rushing through his blood. He couldn’t wait to get his life back. To get everything he was destined for back, to get everything that was written in the stars before his birth back. 

It was almost time. Almost. 


	6. Bank heists and betrayal

**1 month later - total time away: 4 months**

George knew it was time. He had laid everything out, the foundations were there. It was go time. Nyck was trusting and loving him more as the days went by. They had to move now. They had to move before someone got suspicious. 

Everything had been prepared on George’s end and Carbon’s. They had the keys made, the weapons ready and the armour. They were just awaiting George’s signal. The moment George said it they’d get ready. They were waiting on George.

George knew the perfect time to strike, this weekend, Stoffel and Nyck were going to see an old friend of theirs. They wouldn’t be around, they wouldn’t see George apart from in the morning, they wouldn’t be around to stop him. It was the right moment and George had to seize the opportunity he had.

**George** : This Saturday - 7pm onwards - Eau Rouge 

He had made it official now. Today would be his last day as William, last day working at a bank and last day pretending to love someone he didn’t. He didn’t have to live someone else’s life anymore. Tomorrow night he’d be falling asleep with Lando and Alex, he’d be able to wrap them up in his arms and never let go. He’d get to wake up with them. He’d be able to see his brother too, it was weird not having seen Nico for four months. George texted him pretty much everyday after he sent the text to Lewis he sent one to Nico, saying they’d be able to meet soon. 

George was going to have his life back from tomorrow but first he had to get the heist done. He had to focus on the current task, not the future. He couldn’t let himself get tied up with it, couldn’t let himself slip. Not yet.

He was in Nyck’s apartment, he had asked George (William) to stay the night as he was going for most of tomorrow. George agreed, he still needed Nyck to trust him. He still needed Nyck to love him. 

“Can you leave the keys for the bank tomorrow? I need to sort some files out.” George asked.

“Yeah, sure. Let me put them out now.” Nyck smiled and kissed his cheek before getting up.

Well, that was easier than George had expected. Nyck must really trust him. Having a key to the bank was easier, they wouldn’t need to break in. There was no point, it looked better on them but it also made it look like an inside job. Nyck and Stoffel would have some blame but of course they’d have an alibi. They were the only ones, other than the boss, with the keys. The blame would next fall on William but he’d be gone. Everything that ever suggested he existed would be gone with him. Williams' life would be over as soon as the clock struck 7. As soon as Nicholas, Checo and Lance came to clear his apartment at 6, William would be gone. He would seem like an imaginary person, it would make them wonder if William ever existed. It would make the question the last few months.

George couldn’t wait to get William gone.

Nyck was drawing patterns on George’s chest as they laid in the bed, the last time George would have to lay in bed with Nyck. The last time this would happen and god he couldn’t wait for it to end. Nyck had a soft smile on his face, it was obvious that he had a lot of love for William. It was obvious he was infuriated with him. George knew nobody ever stuck around in Nyck’s life this long, not in the romantic way anyway. Nyck really had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

He had hugged George tight the next morning before he left, like he usually did. Nyck trusted George enough to leave him alone in his apartment. What a bad mistake that was. George searched the apartment, looking for anything valuable. He found some things here and there, he stuffed them in his bag. Nicholas would sell them on. George might as well take the stuff, it wouldn’t harm Carbon to have some extra funds.

The rest of the day went by slowly and George hated it. He just wanted it to be tonight, he wanted out of here. He wanted William’s life over. When the clock struck 6, there was a knock on the door. It wasn’t a usual knock, it was code knock. Carbon’s code knock. George checked through the peephole as a precaution, Nicholas, Checo and Lance were waiting with boxes and bags. George let them in, Nicholas hugging him before moving on. Just one more hour, George. One more hour.

He helped the three of them move his stuff out, he helped them pack everything. When they left George stood in the empty apartment. Nothing of William’s life was left, George wasn’t even dressed in his clothes anymore. He was dressed in his own clothes, the clothes he’d be wearing during the heist. He had armour underneath and a ski mask to go with.

It was bittersweet the moment George left the apartment, he had spent the past four months living there, by himself. It was sad in a way but George couldn’t wait to leave and never look back. He couldn’t wait to get rid of William.

Daniel, Lewis, Sebastian and Mick were waiting in the car outside. This was it. William was fading, the minute it turned 7, he was gone. He wouldn’t have to look back. George took one last look at the apartment before leaving. So long William, farewell. 

The minute George stepped into the car, it turned 7. He let the walls of William fade. He was George now, no more William, no more Nyck. No more living a life he hated. 

Mick smiled at him from beside him, Lewis looked relieved in the front seat. He was watching George through the mirror. Sebastian reached over and squeezed George’s hand. Daniel put his foot on the pedal and off they were.

When they arrived at the bank, George first put on his ski mask but the others were already waiting. Not everyone, it wasn’t a big bank. Just the usuals: Max, Pierre, Charles, Valtteri, Lando and Alex. 

Lando and Alex.

They were looking at George with the biggest smiles on their face but now wasn’t the time for a reunion, they knew this. It had to wait till later, till after this was done. Then he could embrace them and never let go but first the bank.

George let them in and they all went to what they were doing. It didn’t take them long to clear the bank, to clear all the deposits boxes. It was a quick heist, Carbon knew what they were doing. The score was definitely worth all those months George spent living another life, he was glad it paid off, glad it wasn’t for nothing.

William’s life was officially over now, no more William. He wasn’t there anymore, he didn’t exist. Instead, a criminal stood in his place. George stood in his place. No more William, no more living someone else’s life. 

George had unlocked the vault for them with a code, it was safe to say his colleagues were impressed with just how much this bank kept but it was only because George convinced them not to move the money for a while. He had told the boss it was dangerous with a gang ready to strike at any moment, if only the boss knew George was in the gang and they were ready to strike. Such a shame. 

As soon as George got back into that car and they started driving towards their end of town, he let out a sigh of relief. He slumped against the seat. He was tired, didn’t sleep well the night before but he was also tired of living William’s life. He was tired of pretending to be someone else, pretending to be in love with someone who wasn’t Alex or Lando. He was so ready to get back to Carbon and sleep for the next week.

The minute he stepped out of the car, he was ambushed by Alex and Lando. George couldn't help but cry a little. He had them here and was safe in his arms. He wouldn’t be away from them anymore. No more only seeing each other once a week. He kissed their heads and held them tighter.

“I told you, i told you I wouldn’t leave you.” George whispered.

Lewis watched them from afar, George managed to let go of Alex and Lando just for a moment so he could hug Lewis. The hug between them felt right, it felt familiar. It felt like what ever tear that had happened between them was healing. It was getting better.

George fell asleep beside two very happy boys that night, he fell asleep happy himself too.

————————

Nyck was confused when they got back the next morning. William had promised he’d be waiting in Nyck’s apartment when he got back but he wasn’t here. Neither Nyck nor Stoffel noticed the missing things. Nyck tried William’s number a couple of times but it went straight to voicemail.

“Maybe he fell asleep at his apartment and his phone died?” Stoffel suggested. 

“Will you come with me?” Nyck asked.

“Sure.”

But William wasn’t there. The door was partly open when they arrived. Nyck went in first and he wished he didn’t. There was nothing there, no trace that William had ever been there. Everything was gone. Everything apart from a note on the kitchen counter.

_ ‘I wish I could say I’m sorry but I’m really not’ _

Nyck could feel his world crumble around him, he could feel the walls William had broken down coming straight back up. He had left him, but why? Why would he do that? He was broken out of his thoughts when Stoffel’s phone rang. He had some hope that it was William but then he heard Stoffel greet his boss. William had gone.

“Nyck, we gotta go to the bank.” Stoffel said, the words were rushed, he was already out of the door. Nyck followed.

“Why?” Nyck asked.

“It’s been robbed but not broken into. Someone with the key robbed the bank. We’re the only two with a key.” Stoffel explained and Nyck froze. He had given William a key, hadn’t he? “Nyck?”

“I left William a key yesterday morning.” He said, still not believing the words.

“What?”

“He wanted to sort some files. Everyone trusts him. I thought it would be okay.” Nyck let himself go, he let the tears stream down his face. He let himself slide down the nearest wall. He tucked his knees into himself. Never was he going to let a person in ever again, not after this. He couldn’t. 

William had made Nyck trust him, he had taken advantage of him. He had seen Nyck’s weaknesses and exposed them, he used them for his own good. He had told Nyck he wanted him but Nyck didn’t believe that anymore. He didn’t want Nyck, he never did. He wanted the money the bank had. That had been his plan along, hadn’t it? William had this planned from the beginning, he had this worked out. He never loved Nyck, he never cared for him. It was all a lie, it was all fake, it was a facade. Nyck had let him in so easily, Nyck had trusted him so easily. He had made the mistake, he had let him in, he trusted him, he gave William the key to the bank. This was his fault. Everything was always his fault. Why did he let himself be so vulnerable? Why did he let people see his weaknesses? 

“You know what this means then.” Stoffel came beside him.

“He robbed the bank?”

“Seems so and now he’s disappeared.” Stoffel continued.

“He tricked us all into believing he was something that he wasn’t. He broke down all my walls just so he could betray me. He said he loved me, Stoff! We were going to have a family and it was all a lie!” Nyck broke down at the last part, he buried himself in Stoffel’s shoulder. Stoffel wrapped his arms around him, keeping him close.

“He’s going to pay for this Nyck, he hasn’t seen the last of us.” 

“Stoffel, no. We stopped.” Nyck said quietly.

“He hurt you, he took advantage of you and your vulnerabilities. He has to pay.” Stoffel said and brought Nyck closer. “This isn’t over.

—————————

The next day at Carbon they celebrated with some champagne. The news playing in the background, they were showing scenes of the bank. There was already a wanted post for William. Too bad that he doesn’t exist. It did mean George’s face was out in the public but he didn’t care, he signed up for this. Lewis was about to turn the news off until Nyck and Stoffel appeared. George felt a little bit bad about the state of Nyck, he looked a mess but then again Nyck had opened himself up to George, he had trusted him.

“You were friends with William, weren’t you?” The news reporter asked them.

“I’d like to say we were but I don’t think I can anymore. It was clear he wasn’t who he said he was.” Stoffel replied.

“And you, Nyck, you had a relationship with him, didn’t you?” Nyck looked as if he was ready to combust at any second.

Nyck didn’t provide a spoken answer, he just nodded instead.

“These two bank workers were away the night of the robbery. A man they had learned to trust so much betrayed them. The police are asking if anyone has any information on William Newton or the people he was joined by last night, to call this number below. Is there anything else you would like to say?” She turned to them, Nyck nodded.

“I forgive you, William.” Was the only thing Nyck said. Then Stoffel walked him away. 

George was still staring at the screen when a cork hit it, smashing the screen in several directions. Everyone turned to the direction it had come from, Charles stood there guilty.

“Oops?” He said.

“You are an idiot child.” Sebastian shook his head.

It was nice to be back at Carbon, to be back with all his friends. He smiled and watched as Sebastian and Charles argued about the television. He watched until Lando stood in front of him and demanded his attention. George laughed lightly and gave into Lando. Of course he was going to give into Lando, he hadn’t been this close to him in a while.

He loved having Alex and Lando this close. He loved that he could hold them at any point, that he could kiss them when he felt like. Alex stood by his side, George’s arm around his shoulders. Alex curled into his side the best he could. Lando had himself wrapped around George’s front, George’s other arm around him. They were here now, they were with him. They weren’t miles away, they were here.

George was glad he didn’t have to play a role anymore, he was glad he didn’t have to be William anymore. It felt good to be himself now, felt good to be back with Alex and Lando. William and Nyck were in the past now, he didn’t have to think about them again. He would never see Nyck or Stoffel again. William was just a figment of their imagination. He would never be seen again. That life George had been living for the past few months was gone, he’d never have to deal with it again. Never have to deal with Nyck or Stoffel again.

Or so he thought. It wasn’t over yet. He hadn’t seen the last of Nyck and Stoffel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [@landonorrisgeorgerussell](https://landonorrisgeorgerussell.tumblr.com/)


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